Party Conference provides a perfect opportunity for politicians, businesses, industry bodies, voluntary and charity groups along with our Party members, to come together to discuss how we can make things better for people.

It’s a time to test the temperature of the country, to reflect on our Party’s policies and bring forward new ideas to tackle emerging issues.

Covid and lockdown has certainly brought about a series of issues, and not just for the UK. The world over there are gas shortages, supply chain fractures, worker shortages and inflationary pressures. The global disruption from locking down countries across the world - and then going to a large scale re-opening - is going to test everyone’s mettle including the government’s, making this conference more important than most.

I arranged several events. One particular meeting through the group I founded - ‘Blue Collar Conservatism’ - was called ‘No to the Nanny State’ and was sold out within days. Speakers included Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees Mogg MP, former cabinet Minister David Davis MP and Baroness Fox - all proponents of a free society – and concerns were raised about the expanding reach of the state.

At an event I attended pre-conference with Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of M16, he highlighted that the growth of state intrusion into our lives over the last 18 months was worse than anything he had seen during the Cold War when he was living behind the Iron Curtain. This chilling comment should make all MPs stop and think when asked to approve a further extension of the governments emergency Covid powers next week – something I will not be supporting.

With the Conservative Party conference being held in Manchester this year, it allowed the Chancellor to come to Tatton to meet with the Royal London team at Alderley Park and open their new building.

Such visits are extremely important and speaking to the Chancellor afterwards at the Northern Powerhouse lunch, I impressed upon him the vibrancy of our area from the financial sector to bioscience sector, manufacturing to farming and the vital need to have top class broadband and better transport infrastructure in our area.

This is a message I will continue to make to Ministers when Parliament resumes next week, as well as ensuring everything is done to address the cost of living issues we are increasingly facing.